Aumapatam is an ancient work on music dance and instruments. This Sanskrit work is a scribed to Umapati. The work contains some unique features on tala, dhruvas and ragas. It has thirty eight chapters and six hundred seventy four verses and some prose sections.
This work comprises valuable materials for research in ancient texts on music, musicology in Tantra and Dance. After concluding the thirty eight chapter the work ends with a salutation to Nadajyoti Brahma residing in the Yogic centre of Sahasrara.
Aumapatam is in a dialogue from between Parama Siva and Parvati. It has definite marks of having Saiva Agamas as its origin. Agamas or Tantras are called fifth Veda. There are supposed to be 64 Tantras, out of which a few are only existent at present. Tantras are two fold- Agamas and Nigama. All of them are in dialogue form between Siva and Parvati. Where Devi does the questioning and Siva provides the answers, it is called as Agama and the Nigama is vice versa. Here in Aumapatam, Siva explains while Devi puts the questions. Thus, it belongs to Agama Tantra.
This work comprises an abundance of the mystical elements in the description of common musical terms- nada, sruti, grama jati etc.
Dr. (Mrs.) M. Vijay Lakshmi has obtained her graduation from Banaras Hindu University, post graduation and Ph.D. from University of Delhi. At present she is teaching as a senior Reader in the Faculty of Music.
She has various works of research studies on music to her credit like, Sangita Makaranda, Sangita samayasara etc.
She has contributed many articles Sanskrit works (on music)- 'Sangita Darpana, Sarigita Damodara , Sarigita Raj, Sarigita Parijata etc., in the encyclopedia of _Hinduism' published under-India Heritage Research Foundation.
Dr. Vijay Lakshmi is well versed in both practical and theoretical aspect of Hindustani classical music. She is adept in Carnatic music too.
Aumapatam is her fourth published treatise and she is at present working on a rare manuscript on music-'Raga. Nirupanam of Narada'.
Aumapatatm is an ancient work on music dance and instruments. This Sanskrit work is ascribed to Umapati. The work contains some unique features on tala, dhruvas and ragas. It has thirty eight chapters and six hundred seventy four verses and some prose sections.
This work comprises valuable materials for research in ancient texts on music, musicology in Tantra and Dance. After concluding the thirty eighth chapter the work ends with a salutation to Nadajyoti Brahma residing in the Yogic centre of Sahasrara.
Aumapatatm is in a dialogue form between Parama Siva and Parvati. It has definite marks of having Saiva Agamas as its origin. Agamas or Tantras are called fifth Veda. There are supposed to be 64 Tantras, out of which a few are only existent at present. Tantras are two fold-Agama and Nigama. All of them are in dialogue form between Siva and Parvati. Where Devi does the questioning and Siva provides the answers, it is called as Agama and the Nigama is vice versa. Here in Aumapatarm, Siva explains while Devi puts the questions. Thus, it belongs to Agama Tantra.
This work comprises an abundance of the mystical elements in the description of common musical terms-nada, sruti, grama jati etc.
The special feature of this work is its mysticism related to all musical terms. There is no practical definition of any term. The author links every thing with heaven and metaphysical concepts which make the work more obscure.
For instance the five basic elements-earth, sky (space), air, water and fire known as pancabhuta play an important role in the emergence of nada and tala in Aumapatath. The manifestation of nada (sound) from the akasa (space) is by the impact of other bhutas. The talas are five fold and appear from each one of five elements. The svaras have types depending on two, three and four notes (srutis,) which are animated and form eighteen living beings. There are many such mystic, metaphysical and combinations of celestial facts mingled in the work, creating more obscurity. Yet the work has various unusual novel points attracting the attention of scholars.
Manuscripts and published text
The only edited text of Aumapatatm is published in 1957, bearing no. 129, under the Madras Government Oriental Series edited by K. Vasudeva Sastri. The manuscripts consulted by Sastri for editing Aumapatatm given by the Curator T. Chandrashekaran as follows-
1. Madras Government Oriental Manuscript Library.
2. Poona Bhandarkar Oriental Institute.
3. Adyar Library Manuscript.
Among these three manuscripts, first two are in Devanagari script and the last one is in Malayalam script.
The latest publication of Aumapatatm with translation and commentary is in German language by Mr. Peter Vonesson in 1995.
The name of this text is given as 'Aumapatatm' according to the colophons. The last colophon ends thus- ‘ उमापतीयं समाप्तम् ‘ which ensures that the name of the author as Umapati. Excluding the names of the author and the text nothing related to the work or author is known. Kallinatha in his commentary on Sangita Ratnakara has referred to Umapati and Aumapatarm in the second chapter.
Time
According to K. Vasudeva sastri.-"The work is coeval with Saiva Agamas and must be assigned the early centuries of Christian Era." No other internal evidences are present to decide about this work .or its author. But Sangita Cudamani (11th century) on which supposedly Sangita Samayasara of Parsvadeva is based on seems to be a later work than Aumapatarm. It cannot be definitely confirmed because there are various facts related to tala, svara etc. which one totally different and unusual and cannot be seen anywhere else. The dialogue form of the text pushes it to an early period.
The language of Aumapatarm
Most of the verses are in anustup metre used by most of the Sanskrit authors in their works on music. The names of talas, ragas, and dance movements seem to be corrupted either by the ignorance of the copyist or the available text itself being corrupted or damaged.
The lengths of the flute are given in Hindi numerals namely Das, Gyarah, Barah, Terah, Caudah, Pandrah and Sodah. The enumeration and total numbers of musical terms like svaras, ragas, talas etc. given by the author does not equal the actual number of names in many cases.
**Contents and Sample Pages**
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